For Immediate Release: February 19, 2006

From: The National Transgender Advocacy Coalition (NTAC)

Contact:  NTAC Chair, Vanessa Edwards Foster; Houston, Texas

Contact Email: ntacmedia@...

                         media@...

Contact Phone: 832-483-9901

Website: http://www.ntac.org

 

NTAC Calls for Senate to Rewrite Hate Crimes Bill, Calls Current Proposal Inadequate

 

As Gay and Lesbian Rights organizations renew the call urging the Senate to reactivate their Hate Crimes bill, one Transgender Rights group is asking that the Senate stop and rewrite the legislation.  The National Transgender Advocacy Coalition (NTAC) called the Senate bill "inferior and inadequate," and is urging the Senate to "take a courageous stand" instead of taking "the coward's way out."

 

Immediately after the hatchet and gunshot attacks in a Boston-area gay bar in late January, the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) issued press release urging the Senate to enact the LLEEA: the Local Law Enforcement Enhancement Act (S.1145).

 

While some gay and lesbian advocacy groups seized upon the opportunity to urge passage of the Senate bill with the existing language, many in the transgender community are calling for a rewrite of the bill.  "The Senate bill's language is inferior and inadequate to cover hate crimes in all fifty states," stated Vanessa Edwards Foster, chair of NTAC.  "If this bill passes," she added, "we'll have to explicitly rework it down the road."

 

"Had [the Massachusetts] crime happened at a transgender bar, it would not be considered a hate crime under this law" said NTAC Secretary, Ethan St Pierre.  He also noted that Massachusetts similarly has no coverage against anti-transgender bias crimes.

 

The language of the Senate bill differs significantly from the House version (H.R. 2662) that passed by a bipartisan vote of 223 to 199 on September 14th, 2005.  The House bill added "gender identity and expression" in their bill's language (HR 2662), as well as provisions for the FBI to expand the Hate Crimes Statistics Act (HCSA) in order to track bias-related violence.  Currently, bias-related violence against transgenders is either tracked as anti-gay crime, anti-women crime, or sometimes not tracked under any category.

 

While the Senate has passed the LLEEA previously, the language has never had distinct coverage for gender identity or gender expression.

 

"We've heard about the Senate intent to cover transgenders in Hate Crimes legislation, but they've always attempted this by cleverly trying to hide the language, " NTAC's Foster said.  "If they support [transgender inclusion], why can't the Senate take a courageous stand and explicitly state what they intend – what they believe in?  Trying to slide legislation through surreptitiously is a coward's way out.  Stand up for what you believe in!  Otherwise, let the opposition walk all over you. "

 

The NTAC Chair called for conservatives opposed to the bill to go on record as well.  "If any Senator truly believes that Americans should have the right to attack and kill because they hate any other group of people, then be proud and state it openly.  We at NTAC will work to provide ample press to communicate your principled stand to the nation." 

 

Recently, in the wake of the Massachusetts attacks, HRC initiated a "Dear Senator" letter calling for passage of the current LLEEA. The bill was signed by People for the American Way, Dignity USA, PFLAG, GLSEN and twenty-four other organizations asked for passage of the non-inclusive Senate version.

 

Thirty-two states already include sexual orientation in their hate crimes laws. Sixty-eight percent of Americans polled believe that laws are needed to protect against anti-transgender hate crimes, yet only eight states currently have language that includes gender identity or expression. 

 

"[The National Organization of Women] was an early supporter of transgender inclusion in the Hate Crimes bill," said NOW Action Vice President Olga Vives. "Since transgender people are a major target of hate-motivated violence it was imperative that gender identity be included in this important policy initiative.

 

"With the passage of [explicitly inclusive Hate Crimes] legislation, we can take down these and other barriers of discrimination and achieve our goal of full inclusion -- for all people -- in our society."

 

NTAC is proud to stand with NOW and directly challenge the Senate to write and pass a Hate Crimes bill that explicitly protects transgenders and all other Americans.

 

"President Bush once stated you're with us, or you're with the terrorists," Foster continued.  "Similarly, those in Congress are either with Americans opposed to Hate Violence on anyone -- or you're with those who instill terror and commit acts of violence and murder toward the segments of society they hate.  We'll note your stand on this issue with your votes."

 

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Founded in 1999, NTAC - the National Transgender Advocacy Coalition - is a civil rights organization working to establish and maintain the right of all transgendered, intersexed, and gender-variant people to live and work without fear of violence or discrimination.